Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-05-20

/ "Mske your mind easy about that"
? said the Mejor. "From the way in which
he has acted so far toward her when she
, was in his power, you have no reason to
thiuk that ne will use any other violence
! thsn 20 retain her captive. Let me
; only get couple of hundred volunteers
together and I'll soon make him glad to
: give har up"
, Night was now fast drawing on-the
sun was either set or hidden entirely be-
/, hind tle clouds, which, swiftly rising,
threatened d terrible storm.
TIE Indians had retreated mile or so,
and there seemed 10 be holding q council
together. Darkness came on in little
while, and the Major could not tell
| whether the Indians intended TO attack
him il the woods or not. Whatever their
intentions might De, he had done the best
I he could by way of preparation to meet
them. His horses, tied firmly together,
had been fastened in ring 10 the trees.
Seatinels were posted all around the lit
tie Tood-Which did not cover more than
an Gcre or TWO OF ground-and every man
WAS On guard. No fires were lighted, no
noise was made, not a sound heard, ex-
cept the painting Of the tired horses and
the neavy breatning5 Of anxious men.
An hour psssed-perhaps more-and,
except an occasional yell, nothing could
be heard of the Indians. The darkness,
now growing very dense, as clouds over
spread the SKY, also kept their movements
entirely concealed, and the rangers could
only await their actions in uncertainty
and suspense.
Suddepig deep, heavy, rumDling sound
was heafdi and Mr.. DelOrme and Paul.
| Io pln Lv TQIn
it 10 ba9lhe rush OF the host of Indians.
But thsssld ranger undGCelved them in
fmomenE
l "ItSsSain," SAID ne. "Let every man
i loo x6ut for his arms and ammunition.
Itssegoing t0speuf young Niagara"
r. It soon came; and it did pour "yOung
Niagara" as the major predicted. For
hours the clouds seemed to Yield their
torrents with g vehemence that was far
from Comfortable TO either man or beast.
fOnly by exceeding caution could the party
! preserve their arms and ammunition in
state lit for use. Their garments were
literally soaked through and through.
! All the night long the storm continued
without cessation; but upOu the approach
Of day IL broke, and the sun arose in a
Cloudless sky. But in vain did the party
| look for trace of the red mer who had
appeared in such countless numbers the
night before. Not one was in sight. They
| lad passed away in the darkness, and the
| storm most likely had washed away every
mark OF their trail.
Fires were now lighted in the little
grove, the horses turned gu. to
feed aud the men allowed TO dry their
clothing sud TO prepare food, for the
MsjOE announced bis determination to re-
turn to the;settlemenUs fOrireinfOrcements
as soon as MS horses were rested enough
Tor travel.
CHAPTER XLvu.
BY roontime the horses had rested and
fed enough TO be 1t again for travel. The
grass, though damp st the roots, was dry
above, with the effect of wind and sun,
and the men, though suffering for want Of
sleep, were considerably refreshed with
their rest ana food. The Major now or
dered them to saddle up md make ready |
for 8 start. While this was being done |
Paul, whose eyes were continually glanc- |
ing away in the direction which he sup |
posed had been taken by the Indians, sud !
denly cried out that ne saw men on the |
prairie-mounted men.
The major instantly sprung into 8 small |
tree with MS spy-glass, to take an obser
vation.
''Put out those fres-don't let parti-
Gle of smoke be seen" ne cried, in mo-
ment after mis- glance Lad reached the |
party which Paul had first deserted.
"What are they?--Irdians, or not2"
asked Paul.
"White men-that re cal, MaIerson, and
his gang, think" SAFE me major. tHave
all the horses led to the back of the grove,
AID form an ambuscade on this side, men,
If it is them Wen rot 90 back to the set
Elements empty-handed. Well take them
as prisoners, and see if there isn't some
law in Texas. 1t would be no more than
Justice to shoot them, like wolves on the
justice isn't law, nowadays,
by long odds"
The orders of the major were speedily
obeyed. The fires were extinguished, the
horses secreted, and the men with ready
weapons, posted behind trees, prepared to
act when their commander gave the word.
In short time the new corners could
be very plainly distinguished, even by the
naked eye, and they proved indeed to be
the robber band. Their horses had be-
come sufficiently rested to enable them to
move along at q fair rate; and, as they
soon to reach the settlements,
their ill-humor and discomfort had van
ished, and they seemed as gay as ii they
had pTospered rather than suffered.
In a careless and jovlal way they ap-
the little grove, Ada riding a
little apart from the rest. Mslerson, full
Of his usual coarse jokes and careless
levity, rode at the head Of the main body. ;
As they entered the edge of the wood and ]
it appeared, by their CONVEX {
sation, that they intended TO rest here for !
two or three hours. But before that num-
Der of minutes had elapsed, at q shril
whistle from their leader, the rangers /!
stepped out from their ambush, and the {
entire gang found themselves surrounded. !
Resistance was outside the pale of
chance, even, and not to be thought of. !
They were unarmed-their opponents I
fully armed.
Surrender, mem" said Ada, quietly, !
IS Mccullough babe them do so. "We I
will have an escort to the settlements How
that is all. Don's be alarmed for the :
future" '
"You speak as ifyou were in command, {
my little BANTAM" said Mccullough, not '
1t first recognizing the sex of the speaker
for he had never seen Ada before. s
81 was until this moment, when you
assumed it," she said, coolly. Then OBJ
serving Paul AMI Mr.. DelOrme nesr, both I
ocking wTe .Ched and doWncsst, and no '
sign Of Stella there, she at once suspected 1
hat Lagona had, IN some manner, recov-
cred the latter, and smile of satisfied {
triumph csme out upon her handsome face
IS she added: :